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= **Welcome to the SAS Global Languages (Grades 6-12) Wiki** = toc Josep Capilla (Spanish) Betzabeth Caballero (Spanish) Marney Rosen (French) || Aaron Arizmendi (Spanish) Elaine Costeira (French) ||
 * ** Campus ** || ** 6-12 Coordinators ** || ** High School Faculty ** || ** Middle School Faculty ** ||
 * **Pudong** || Elaine Costeira || Sarah Boss (French)
 * **Puxi** ||  ||   ||   ||

=6-12 Global Languages Philosophy= [//written in the Curriculum Review of 2010-2011]// The Global Languages department provides a challenging curriculum with an international perspective that inspires a passion for learning and intellectual vitality. The curriculum embodies core values aimed at developing global minded citizens and literate individuals who are multilingual communicators. Instruction is focused on facilitating interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communication to support students in becoming productive, culturally interactive, and sensitive members of a diverse community.

Essential agreements for teachers:
[//written in the Curriculum Review of 2010-2011]//


 * We will create a comfortable, non-threatening classroom atmosphere where students feel comfortable taking risks to communicate in the target language.
 * We will use a communicative approach where learners will build upon prior knowledge through meaningful engagement that often extends beyond the classroom.
 * We will converse and instruct in the target language as much as possible in the classroom so that students receive maximum exposure to the language.
 * We will use authentic material to provide a “real to life” experience. This includes what one would find in a country where the target language is spoken, (e.g., music, movies, magazines, news reports, books, food)
 * We will explore our host culture through activities and excursions in order to further insights into the target language and culture.
 * We will use examples within our own culture to gain knowledge and understanding of the culture wherever the target language is spoken.
 * We will use technology for language learning to allow the learner the maximum opportunity to interact within meaning-rich contexts through which they construct and acquire competence in the language.
 * We will connect the target language with other disciplines within the school so that the acquisition of information is inherent to the target language and its cultures.
 * We will demonstrate life-long learning skills by using the language outside of the classroom in real-life situations, not exempting travel to a country where the target language is spoken.

** Essential Conditions for the subject **
[//written in the Curriculum Review of 2010-2011]//
 * There is an adequate and consistent allocation of time for academic learning time in global languages in order to implement a well articulated, standards-based, school-wide program
 * Based on the ACTFL standards, optimal time is a 50-minute class each day.
 * Research has shown that during the first two years of language learning, continuity remains important for retention.
 * Surveys of benchmark International schools in Asia support optimal academic learning time for language classes is 50 minutes either each day or on a rotating schedule of 3 out of 4 days.


 * Professional development includes an allocation of resources necessary to visit model programs, and attend conferences or workshops aimed toward the revitalization of the language acquisition educational processes at the classroom level. This also includes support of the use of technology in a global language classroom.
 * There are frequent opportunities for cross-level meeting times on each campus that will be used to share and build a strong language program.

Global Languages Enduring Understandings
[//written in the Curriculum Review of 2010-2011]//


 * Go to Atlas for the Standards and Benchmarks **


 * Standard I: Communication**
 * Acquired languages can be used to communicate, express feelings and emotions, and exchange information and opinions while gaining new perspectives.
 * Effective language communicators discern language patterns, use ¨guessing¨ skills, ask for clarification, and experiment with the target language.


 * Standard II: Cultural Awareness**
 * Language is a dynamic system that changes over time and incorporates new influences; therefore, a language appears in close contact with its background and surroundings and evolves.
 * In order to truly learn a language one should be immersed in its culture and understand its people, traditions, celebrations, arts, and literature.


 * Standard III: Cross-Curriculum Connections**
 * The study of a global language and its culture reinforces and connects content and skills from other disciplines.


 * Standard IV: Life-Long Language Learners**
 * Self-assessment and reflection are inherent components of language acquisition.
 * Semantic, graphic, and phonological reasons behind languages patterns; can help when dissecting a language’s code and transmitting its messages.


 * Standard V: Globally minded Language Learners**
 * The discovery of global perspectives help to shape the learners’ view of the world and their community.
 * Appreciating and understanding the variety of cultures that exist in our global community enrich our view of that society and the world.
 * Through a global perspective of languages comes understanding and informed application of a specific target language.